16/04/2015
AirtelZeroplanprimafacieviolatestheprincipleofnetneutrality,saysTraiTheEconomicTimes
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/airtelzeroplanprimafacieviolatestheprincipleofnetneutralitysaystrai/articleshow/46938313.cms
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ByAnanditaSinghMankotia,ETBureau|16Apr,2015,04.00AMIST
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Airtelhasmaintainedthatitsplandoesntviolatetheconceptofnetneutrality,whichguaranteesconsumersequalandnondiscriminatoryaccesstoInternet.
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AirtelZeroplanprimafacieviolatestheprincipleofnetneutrality,saysTrai
NEWDELHI:ThetelecomregulatorisoftheviewthatthecontroversialAirtelZeroplanprimafacieviolatestheprincipleofnetneutrality,disputingthecontentionbythecountry'slargesttelcothattheschemeisconsistentwiththeconceptofanopenInternet.
"Fromthelooksofit,AirtelZeroandmanyotherplansincludingFacebook'sInternet.orgtieupwithRelianceCommunicationsandthefreeWhatsApp,Facebookoffersbyothertelcosseemtoviolatenetneutrality,"saidaseniorTraiofficial.
AirtelhaswrittentoTrai,describingitsAirtelZeroschemeasaplain,openplatformforappmakerstoprovidetollfreedataservices,andonethatdoesn'tdiscriminateagainstanyone,saidpeoplefamiliarwiththedevelopment.
BhartiAirtelhasconsistentlymaintainedthatitsplandoesn'tviolatetheconceptofnetneutrality,whichguaranteesconsumersequalandnondiscriminatoryaccesstoalldata,appsandservicesontheInternet.
Airteldidn'trespondtoanemailedqueryonitscommunicationtotheTelecomRegulatoryAuthorityofIndia(Trai).Theregulator,however,doesn'tagreewithAirtelandisscrutinisingtheplanandallsimilarschemes,includingFacebook's
Internet.orgtieupwithRelianceCommunications,whichonthefaceofitviolatestheconceptofanopenInternet.OnWednesday,travelsiteCleartripwithdrewfromInternet.orgovernetneutralityconcerns.
MosttelcossuchasIdeaCellular,UninorandTataTeleservicesalsohaveplansofferingFacebookorWhatsAppatnominalcharges,ifnotforfree.TherearenoofficialguidelinesonnetneutralityinIndia.Boththegovernmentandtheregulatorareexaminingthebroaderissueandwilltakeafinalviewinthecomingmonths.TelecomMinisterRaviShankarPrasadhasopenlybackedafreeInternetandsaidconsumersshouldbeabletoaccesstheNetinanondiscriminatorymanner.
ButtheTraiofficialsaiduntiltheregulatororthegovernmentputrulesinplace,telecomoperatorscancontinueintroducingplanssuchasthese."Youwillneedtheforceoflawtodrawlinesonwhatispermissibleandwhatisnot.Together,theregulatorandthegovernmentwillhavetomakeitclear,"theofficialsaid.
ThedebateovernetneutralityboiledoverwhenAirtelrecentlylauncheditsAirtelZeroplanthatitpositionedasanopenmarketingplatformforappmakerstoprovidetheirappstousersforfree.Criticspointedoutthatthecompanieswouldpaytelcosforprovidingappsfreetocustomers.This,inturn,putappmakerswhodon'tenterintotieupswithtelcosatadisadvantageasitdiscouragedcustomersfromaccessingtheseapps,henceviolatingtheprincipleofnetneutrality.
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16/04/2015
AirtelZeroplanprimafacieviolatestheprincipleofnetneutrality,saysTraiTheEconomicTimes
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/airtelzeroplanprimafacieviolatestheprincipleofnetneutralitysaystrai/articleshow/46938313.cms
2/2
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OnTuesday,ecommercegiantFlipkartsaidithadcalledoffnegotiationswithAirteltojointheAirtelZeroplatform,citingitssupportfornetneutrality,afterasevereconsumerbacklashbothonlineandonsocialmedia.OnWednesday,Airtel'sstockcloseddown2.3%atRs414.60ontheBombayStockExchange,underperformingthebroadermarket.
NETNEUTRALITYACOMPLEXISSUE
"Wearecompletelyawareofthecomplexissuesplaguingnetneutralityandthatiswhywehaveinitiatedadebateonthissubjectthroughourconsultationpaper,"theTraiofficialsaid.
Earlierthismonth,theregulatorhadfloatedthepaperonwhetheroverthetop(OTT)servicesorappsdeliveredthroughtheInternetbytelecomoperatorsandISPs(Internetserviceproviders),shouldbelicensedorregulated.TheregulatorhasaskedstakeholderstosendsuggestionsbyApril24whilecounterargumentsneedtobesubmittedbyMay8.Traiwillsubsequentlypublishitsrecommendationsonthesubject.
Theconsultationpaperhasseenanunprecedentedresponse,withmorethan5.08lakhemailssenttotheregulatorbackingafreeInternet.Anonlinepetitiononthechange.orgwebsitehasbeensignedbynearly1.8lakhinsupportofnetneutrality.
AtelecomdepartmentpanelisseparatelyexaminingtheissueandwillcomeoutwithanindependentreportbythesecondweekofMay,whichwillhelpformulatethegovernment'sstandonthetouchytopic.
Expertswarnedaboutthedangersofviolatingnetneutrality.ISPswere'gatekeepers'enablingaccesstotheInternetandtheirrolesofarhasbeentomaintainthisinworkingorder,saidSharanyaRanga,partner,AdvayaLegal."AnydeviationinthesamewillbeamajordepartureinchangingtheverynatureofInternetanditsaccesstousers,"shesaid."ItmayresultinexerciseofunfetteredanddiscretionarypowersbyISPstothrottlecompetitionandreduceinnovationatlarge."
